Inquiry into GCU Lahore's controversial 'caste section'

By Team CG
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September 21, 2022
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A group of applicants to Government College University (GCU), Lahore, have launched an online protest against the institution's admission form for including a caste section.

They argued that Pakistani society is already divided into castes, and emphasizing it in the admission form would worsen stereotypical notions about it.

Parents of students and civil society members have also expressed disapproval of the section and demanded that it be removed.

Dr. Asghar Zaidi, the VC of GCU, explained that the questions about applicants' caste are not recent and were added on the instructions of the Government of Punjab.

Applicants aren't required to fill out the caste selection category; it's simply there to ensure that the government can acquire caste-wise data if needed.

A VC said that an entry test was introduced for intermediate classes during the pandemic because the Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISEs) had not been able to conduct the annual matriculation and intermediate classes. As the BISE examination results have declined in quality, the university needs to maintain its admissions standard.